to develop the economy of a country like haiti. and this is really what we have to underline, and the issue on which we have to work altogether. host: pierre vimont is the french ambassador to the u.s.. thank you for being with us this morning. we will be back tomorrow at 7:00 for more "washington journal." the house is coming into session now. guest speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the prayer today will be offered by chaplain father coughlin. chaplain coughlin: lord god, creator of heaven and earth, eternal shepherd of the living and the dead, as our nation unite -- reunite with other nations of the world and pray

for our suffering brothers and sisters in the poverty stricken and earth shaken nation of haiti, have mercy on us all. we beg you to help all the people of haiti and all their needs. come to the aid of the afflicted, take pity on the helpless and the most vulnerable. raise up the fallen as well as the ruins where human life and human remains may still be hidden. restrain the wayward and sustain the broken hearted. bring compassion to those who mourn and eternal life to those who are buried in anonymity. for your people of haiti, we call upon you, lord, as the ever lasting redeemer and resurrection both now and forever.

amen. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant pursuant. -- pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. today, the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from texas, congressman poe. mr. poe: please join me in the pledge. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to 15 requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the

gentlewoman from california rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mrs. capps: mr. speaker, i rise today in part of the wall street bonus tax act. it would right a terrible wrong. right now dozens of financial institutions responsible for the economic meltdown are reverting right back to their old bad habits. they're getting ready to pat themselves on the back for the great job they think they're doing by giving themselves billions of dollars in bonuses. but the thanks and the bonuses should go not to the bankers at goldman sachs and citigroup and the others, it should go back to the american people. it was the american people who stepped in and saved the banks from themselves. it was the american people who pumped billions of taxpayer dollars into wall street to keep it from melting down and taking the rest of the economy with it. and it should be the american people who reap the benefits of that action, not wall street banks.

congress should pass the wall street bonus tax act and give the american people their money back. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: mr. speaker, on april 19, 1775, 235 years ago, shots rang out in massachusetts that forever changed the history of the world. british red coats were ordered to seize the weapons of the american militia even though it's never a good idea to try to disarm the american people. the famous midnight ride of fall revere said that the men were coming. the first shots rang out against the british tyranny, shots that was heard around the world. they fought the british army. the mighty british were defeated and turned back to boston. these were the first battles of the american revolution for a new idea of freedom.

the people of massachusetts have fired a second shot heard around the world. yesterday, they fired back against big intrusive government, not with bullets, but with ballots. the senate election was a statement for freedom over oppression. our government, like the british, would do well never to underestimate the american people, and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? mr. cohen: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cohen: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to pay tribute to a memphis shelby county citizen who gave his life in service in afghanistan. staff sergeant daniel meriweather. he was the first person to die from memphis in 2010 and the 12th since 2002. he died when his convoy ran

over an improvised explosive device. he graduated from overton high school in memphis, tennessee. he studied broadcast journalism, played football, loved sports, cowboy hats, boots and country music and you can see from his picture and the reflections from his friends how much he loved life and how popular he was. he wanted to serve his country and did he so and he had two tours of duty, one in afghanistan and one in iraq. 25 years of age, he's survived by his wife, two children, one daniel merriweather jr. just 2 months old. he has a sister and brother as well. these are the 12 soldiers that have died from shelby county, and unfortunately staff sergeant merriweather joins that company. let us honor the life of staff sergeant merriweather.

thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, surge merriweather. -- sergeant merriweather. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina rise? mr. wilson: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: mr. speaker, one year ago today as the president was sworn into office giving democrats full control of congress and the white house, after promising the american people a misnamed stimulus plan to keep unemployment under 8%, we see 10% unemployment continuing to cripple families. 365 days later, the american people still haven't seen this congress focus on job creation policies to promote small businesses. instead, the american people have been saddled with more borrowing, more taxes, more spending and increased deficits. as shown in massachusetts, the american people support limited government, not failed big government. seven million americans have lost jobs since democrats took

congress, and now americans want real change. it's time the democrats get this message and take their priorities straight. drop the back room government health care takeover and take up job creation policies. in conclusion, god bless our troops and we will never forget september 11 and the global war on terrorism. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from ohio rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. sutton: last fall, we all know that america's largest financial institutions were on the brink of collapse, and the federal government, and more importantly, the american taxpayers came to their rescue. but let's be clear. we did not do that because we were fans of their behavior. we did not appreciate even then the excessive greed that was driving wall street without any kind of sense of

responsibility. we helped them because ordinary citizens were being crushed, and we hoped to get the credit flowing. what has happened? wall street has experienced recovery, but main street still needs help. and wall street needs to help pay for the revitalization of main street. and that's why i support the wall street bonus tax, which is going to levy a tax on those excessive bonuses that the wall street banks have the audacity to continue to give out. even as the plight of our middle class is suffering. so with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. we have to do everything we can to stand up for the american taxpayers and the people who live in our community. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. smith: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. smith: mr. speaker, the united states senate special election in massachusetts offers many lessons for both

democrats and republicans. surely among them are these. all true reform starts with the voice of the people. moderation beats extremism. common sense triumphs partisanship. voters can exercise real independence. one party control leads to arrogance. there are a few guaranteed election results, and listen to the people, don't defy them. of course, some will say there are lessons -- there are no lessons to be learned. the results of the election can be explained. democrats or republicans will pay a steep political price. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon rise? mr. defazio: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. defazio: clear from the results last evening that the voters are angry. they haven't seen the change in

direction that they thought they voted for a year ago november. now, some republicans will see it as an endorsement to turn back to the failed policies of the bush years that put us in this mess. that wasn't the message. but the message is they want real change, they want the reform of wall street. they're tired of business as usual where the fat cats make out and the taxpayers get the bill. they want to see real reform in health care, take on the insurance industry, take on the pharmaceutical industry. the obama administration kicked off health care reform with a deal with the pharmaceutical industry. now, that is not the kind of reform the american people want to see. we need to step back and put forward a package of real reform, take away the antitrust exemption of the health insurance industry, lower the cost of health care for all americans, make the policies better. take on the pharmaceutical industry. allow people to reimport drugs from canada that are exactly

the same as the drugs solid here but at a -- sold here but at a fraction of the price. these are the type of steps that americans want to see. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? mr. fleming: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. fleming: mr. speaker, while there is a controversy about the pending health care legislation, one point where there should be bipartisan agreement is that the federal government should not penalize people simply for being married. it appears that the house and senate bills contain significant marriage penalties. in the house bill, an unmarried couple with income of $25,000 each would have their combined premiums capped at $3,076 per year. if the couple gets married, their annual premium cap drops to $1,760 for the same insurance. in short there is a $2,84

penalty for simply being married. -- $2,084 penalty for simply being married. the marriage penalty would still exceed $1,500 a year in the senate bill. a marriage penalty on the middle class is just one more reason to dump this government takeover of our health care system. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from washington rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. inslee: mr. speaker, we know that job creation is congress' job one. and we have passed sometime ago a great job creation engine for a clean energy economy in the united states. and we passed that months ago in the u.s. house. and we know we have tremendous opportunity for job creation. building electric cars. i drove a ford focus a couple months ago. building solar thermal plants. we now have contracts out in the southwest developing. building new energy efficient

windows. i heard from an entrepreneur the tremendous advances in that. the u.s. senate needs to get off the dime and pass a clean energy bill. and those who think that we should do nothing because copenhagen didn't reach an agreement, i'll tell you what, the chinese are not waiting. they are building solar plants. they are building electric lithium ion batteries. they are building new energy efficient windows. the u.s. senate needs to join us and create a job energy creating engine and pass the energy bill. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. johnson: thank you. thank you, mr. speaker. many of my colleagues in the house are ignoring the american people. our constituents are holding rallies, posting blogs, talking with their neighbors, writing to their congressman and doing

everything in their power to get them to listen. the american people are telling us loud and clear, they don't want a government takeover of health care. listen to them. massachusetts did. americans want, need and deserve better than a budget busting trillion dollar health care bill when 10% of americans are still unemployed. they're tired of sweetheart deals, secret meetings and dirty politics. there's still time to do what's right, to do what the people are asking us to do. vote against the pelosi takeover of health care. i yield back. .7 c16 c13 the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady rise? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized.

mrs. maloney: mr. speaker, this is a map from a new report by the government accountability office that i requested in my role as chair of the joint economic committee. the report provides a detailed understanding of the state of the housing market at the end of june, 2009. and provides a sobering picture of the housing crisis this administration, president obama inherited. by the end of last june, 1.7 million of the nonprime mortgages that originated from 2000 to 2007 had completed the foreclosure process. this map shows the estimated percentage of seriously delinquent nonprime loans by congressional district. it also is a map of the economic damage and social pain caused by lending practices of the past decade that were unsound by any

measure. last year this house passed financial regulatory reform to protect both consumers and our economy from the damaging effects of predatory lending, the sobering map is a reminder of why this legislation needs to pass into law. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> i saw the article in this month's "washington post" about the obama administration cutting a backroom deal with the democratic leadership to create by executive order a commission to deal with our nation's spending. i am opposed to creating this panel by executive order. the american people will be opposed. congress should be voting to create this commission and require an act on the recommendation. what the president and the democratic leadership, which has only come around to address an issue because they need political coverage to increase the debt limit, have agreed to is a fig leaf. this is the same group that's pushed our deficit to record

levels and it continues to write check after check from an account that has a negative balance. the american people will not be cut out of the process. this will cut the matter of process. it is a backroom deal. and under this deal the recommendation will be voted on by a lame duck congress filled with retiring and defeated members. this is wrong. any action should be taken by a newly elected congress not one on the way out the door. creating this commission by executive order is the wrong way to go. we have to get this right. too much is at stake. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from maryland rise? the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. edwards: thank you, mr. speaker. during the bush administration the unemployment rate nearly doubled. we hemorrhaged millions of jobs, including 743,000 jobs we lost in january, 2009, when president obama was sworn in. they made the mess but we have to fix it. and thankfully this president and the democrats in congress

have put measures in place to stabilize our economy and begin to create jobs for the more than 15.3 million people who are unemployed. and to those who are actively seeking a job but can't find one, the economy has to begin to move again. we have extended unemployment. we have extended cobra benefits for those who are unemployed to help them make ends meet. but that's not enough. we have to continue that until we stabilize the economy significantly and unemployment falls. during this congress, we really helped our job creators, small businesses, and we have to do more for them to make sure we steer equity and investment to start-ups and high fields like clean energy and information technology and strengthen microlending from the small business administration. we are not finished until millions of americans who want to go to work go back to work. our job isn't done until americans achieve the american dream. thank you. i yield my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida rise? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one

minute. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to salute miami attorney, ira leesfield on receiving the 2010 american jewish committee judge learnard hand award for a preferred excellence. the american jewish committee must have had ira in mind when this award was created to honor the memory of judge hand and the principles that he so well represented. individual rights and the importance of democratic values and an orderly society. with his very strong professional background, outgoing personality, and true compassion for our community, ira has been a strong voice for civil rights in south florida for many years and i am honored to count him as a friend. as a senior and managing partner of leasefield and partner p.a., he has received many other honors, including the anti-defamation jurisprudence award, and the first florida recipient of the jurisprudence

award. i'm glad to join them in celebration of his contributions to our community and our nation. thank you, mr. speaker, for the time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? mr. moran: to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. moran: thank you, mr. speaker. how soon we forget. it's instructive to recall where we were nine years ago. we had created 23 million new jobs. we were at peace throughout the world. and in fact we had a projected surplus of $5.6 trillion. by this time we would have paid off our debt. but instead after eight years of republican control of all three branches of government, eight years later, we had $12 trillion

of debt. we were engaged in two wars. health care costs were strangling our families and businesses. and in fact we will lose -- we were losing 700,000 jobs a month. one year later that job loss has been cut by 90%. we have a health care reform bill that will enable all american families to have affordable health care at less cost. the process of governance is difficult. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana rise? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. burton: massachusetts, virginia, new jersey, they have all spoken and i think they speak for the american people.

they want us to try to work out these problems that they are facing together and not keep pointing fingers. it's time for us to get down to the job of creating jobs. they don't want this health care bill. it's pretty darn clear. that was the major issue in massachusetts. so we need to get together and solve the problems of health care without ramming something down the people's throat behind closed doors. it's extremely important. they don't want higher taxes, they want lower taxes. they don't want more government interference in their lives, they want less. and so what we ought to do is address the problems that are really important right now. the first thing is creating jobs and getting this economy back on track and not try to ram a health care bill down the american people's throat that they really, really don't want. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky rise? mr. yarmuth: request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. yarmuth: there is always a great deal of danger in

spontaneous reactions to elections. one of the things that i felt about last night when i watched scott brown accept his victory in massachusetts was that, he didn't talk about returning to the agenda of the 2,000-2008, he didn't talk about returning to economic economics or republican agenda. he never mentioned the word republican. what he did talk about and he talked about it extremely well was about the need for us to listen to the people, that the job wasn't -- his job or a kennedy job, this was the people's job. and that's a lesson for all of us to learn. the true political victory will be won by the party and the individuals who demonstrate responsiveness to the needs of their communities and their citizens. we have been doing that now for a year. i think we can make a strong case on the democratic side that we have saved this country from

an economic abyss. we will continue to do that while we listen to the people we work for. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, we need to get our courage up and continue to reform health care. there are tremendous benefits that will be lost if we don't clearly draw the path to health care reform. what we are doing is providing protections against insurance companies' discriminations and losing courage when you get sick and losing coverage, some of us are losing courage. when you get sick. insurance security if you lose your job will be guaranteed. relief for small businesses and employers and jobs for americans

in the health care industry, and no lifetime limits on coverage and free preventive care, that is what we want to do for the american people. we must go out and clearly explain the benefits each and every one of us to the american people. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered, or on which a vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. record votes on postponed questions will be taken later.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts rise? mr. lynch: good morning, mr. speaker. i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3250. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3250, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 1210 west main street in riverhead, new york, as the private first class garfield m. langhorn post office building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. lynch, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. schock, each

will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous materials. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lynch: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lynch: mr. speaker, as chairman of the house subcommittee with jurisdiction over the united states postal service, i'm proud to present h.r. 3250 for consideration. this legislation will designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 1210 west main street in riverhead, new york, as the private first class garfield m. langhorn post office building. h.r. 3250 was introduce bide my colleague and friend, representative tim bishop, of new york, on july 17, 2009, and was favorably reported out of the oversight and government reform committee by unanimous consent on october 29, 2009. in addition, the legislation enjoys the support of the entire

new york house delegation. born on september 10, 1948, in cumberland, virginia, private first class garfield langhorn distinguished himself through his brave, dedicated, and selfless military service during the vietnam war. as a member of the united states army troop c, seventh squadron, 17th cavalry regiment, first brigade. in recognition of his heroic actions during the vietnam war, private first class langhorn posthumously received the medal of honor. as well as the purple heart. private first class langhorn was one of 20 african-american soldiers to received the medal of honor for their service during the vietnam war. as noted by the citation accompanying his medal of honor, private first class langhorn demonstrated, "conspicuous gallantly and trepidity in action at the risk of his life and beyond the call of duty."

while serving as a radio operator in troop c, on january 15, 1969, specifically the citation recounts that private first class lang horn's la -- langhorn's platoon had been insert food a landing zone to rescue two pilots. while members of his platoon who found the two pilots did attempted to take the men's bodies to a nearby pickup location, private first class langhorn provided radio coordination and covering fire as a platoon came under intense fire from enemy forces. . as darkness fell and a bomb fell only a few feet from his platoon, without hesitation, private first class langhorn fell on the grenade and saved the lives of his comrades but

by sfoigsing his own. -- sacrificing his own. private first class langhorn's heroism was keeping with the highest traditions of the military and reflects great credit on himself, his unit and the united states army, closed quote. mr. speaker, in continued tribute to private first class langhorn's bravery and self-sacrifice, the members of the united states army seventh squadron, 17th cavalry, past and present, has ensured that his life and legacy lives on. as noted by retired sergeant major tony morton, president of the seventh squadron, 17th air cab association, all troop assigned to the squadron must, quote, earned their spurs, closed quote, to the completion of a grueling three-day series of tasks known as the spur ride. it is notable that completion of one of the station requires

that a soldier has a detailed knowledge of the service and sacrifice of private first class langhorn. a requirement that according to sergeant major morton serves to ensure that private first class langhorn will go on in this squadron as long as this squadron is flying the colors, closed quote. in addition in 2008, the squadron cut the ribbon on a conference center named after private first class langhorn and the unit other medal of honor recipient, sergeant ray mckibon. they rededicated the memorial to the unit's new headquarters at nearby fort campbell. mr. speaker, the life of private first class garfield m. langhorn stands as a testament to the lives of those brave men and women who served in the united states military and offered our nation the ultimate sacrifice. let us further honor the courageous soldiers through the

passage of h.r. 3250, which designates the riverhead, new york, post alservice in private first class langhorn's name. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 3250, and i reserve the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: mr. speaker, i rise and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. schock: i rise in support of h.r. 3250, which designates the facility of the united states post alservice located at 1210 west main street in riverhead, new york, as the private first class garfield m. langhorn post office building. he served as an inspiration to all americans. on january 15, 1969, u.s. army private first class garfield m.

langhorn of new york was serving as a radio operator in north vietnam. his platoon's assignment was to rescue two helicopter pilots who had been shot down and were behind enemy lines. langhorn coordinated with aircraft that were providing cover to his platoon during the rescue mission. while soldiers in the platoon were bringing the bodies of two dead helicopter pilots they were rescuing to a site, vietnamese soldiers went to the platoon. langhorn helped provide cover for the other soldiers in the platoon. but as night came, the fighting continued. but the air support could no longer accurately pinpoint the soldiers on the ground. the enemy soldiers continued to close in. an enemy soldier threw a hand grenade near langhorn and

several of his colleagues and friends. congressional to his -- according to his congressional honor of medal citation, choosing to protect the wounded, he unhesitantly threw himself on the grenade, scooped it beneath his body and absorbed the blast. by sacrificing himself, he saved the lives of his comrades. mr. speaker, garfield langhorn was a true american hero. in his last dying words, he's reported to have said, quote, you have to care. private first class langhorn did care deeply about his fellow soldiers and he cared about his country. his story is an inspiration to all americans. i ask my colleagues to support house resolution 3250, to honor first class langhorn's sacrifice for years to come and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves.

the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the gentleman's kind words. at this point i'd like to yield three minutes to the chief sponsor of this resolution, mr. bishop of new york. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york's recognized. mr. bishop: thank you, mr. speaker. let me start by thanking my friend, mr. lynch, for his remarks with respect to this legislation. let me also thank the gentleman from illinois for his remarks and his support of this legislation. mr. speaker, i rise as the proud sponsor of h.r. 3250, and i thank the leadership for calling up this bill to name the united states post office located at 1210 west main street in riverhead, new york, in my district on eastern long island as the private first class garfield m. langhorn post office building. it was a journey of hard work -- of a hardworking american family looking for an opportunity and a better way of life that brought the family of private first class garfield langhorn of the united states army from cumberland, virginia,

to new york. his mother still lives in this close nit community. her name is mary, where she raised her son who proudly answered the call of his country during the vietnam war. he distinguished himself as a radio operator and as a good soldier. i'm proud to represent ms. langhorn and i commend her with the dignity with which she carries her loss. in vietnam he heard a higher call. his ultimate sacrifice saved the lives of several of his fellow soldiers by selflessly absorbing an explosion of an enemy grenade within his own body. it was an act of valor and heroism for which the medal of honor was created and for which it is solemnly reserved. today the medal of honor retains pride of place on mary langhorn's wall as a tangible symbol of the respect and honor her son earned from the

american people. passing h.r. 3250 today affirms the pride of riverhead by remorializing one of its most distinguished citizens. as they conduct business each day, the people of riverhead who visits the post office will be reminded of p.f.c. langhorn and can reflect on the true value of freedom. they will know that p.f.c. garfield m. langhorn is a national hero and the values for which he gave his life, honor, loyalty and family, will begin forever be memorialized. mr. speaker, i'm grateful to awful my colleagues and the new york delegation for co-sponsoring this -- to all of my colleagues and the new york delegation for co-sponsoring this legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: mr. speaker, i urge all members to support the passage of h.r. 3250, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i again in closing urge my colleagues to join mr. bishop, the gentleman from new york, in honoring first class garfield langhorn through the passage of h.r. 3250, and i yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3250. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. mr. lynch: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- mr. lynch: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts rise? mr. lynch: mr. speaker, i move

that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 708 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 708, resolution congratulating nancy goodman brinker for receiving the presidential medal of freedom. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. lynch, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. schock, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous materials. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lynch: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, on behalf of the committee on oversight and government reform, i'm proud to present h.r. 708 for consideration. this legislation expresses our congratulations to ms. nancy goodman brinker for receiving the presidential medal of freedom. house resolution 708 was introduced by my colleague and friend, representative aaron schock of illinois, on july 31,

2009, and was favorably reported out of the oversight and government reform committee by voice vote on december 10, 2009. in addition, the legislation enjoys the support of nearly 60 members of congress. mr. speaker, seeing that my colleague is the lead sponsor of this, i will reserve the balance of our time and allow the gentleman to offer this resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: well, thank you. i wish to extend my appreciation to my friend from massachusetts, and, mr. speaker, i'd yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. schock: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor a great woman, a great leader and really an icon in our country and around the world for what the power of one person working with hundreds and thousands of others, the really one person's vision, tenacity and hard work can mean for her fellow mankind on earth. we rise today to honor nancy

goodman brinker. she was born december 6, 1946, in peoria, illinois. and is most notably known for her work with the susan g. komen for the cure foundation, the world's leading breast cancer, grassroots organization which has impacted millions of lives. this organization was established in memory of her sister, suzy komen, who passed away from cancer in 1980. ms. brinker since then has also founded the susan g. komen for the cure's signature program, the race for the cure, the largest series of 5-k run and fitness walks in the world. since its origin in 1983 in dallas, texas, the race for the cure series has grown from one local race with 800 participants to a national series of 112 races that yielded just over 1.5 million

participants last year. ms. brinker's contributions to society extends beyond her work with the susan g. komen's centers. she has served in the government as chair of the president's cancer panel in the early 1990's. she then went on as the u.s. ambassador for hungry from 2001 to 2003 and as the chief of protocol for the united states from 2007 to 2009. "time" magazine in 2008 named her as one of the 100 most influential people in the entire world. in july, 2009, president obama named nancy goodman brinker as a recipient of the 2009 presidential medal of freedom. presidential medal of freedom is america's highest civilian honor that is awarded to individuals who make an

especially meritorious contribution to the national or security interest to the united states, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. she was presented the presidential medal of freedom on wednesday, august 12, 2009. the inscription of her presidential medal of freedom says this, "drawing strength from tragedy, nancy goodman brinker has transformed the nation's approach to breast cancer." when her sister was diagnosed in 1977, most breast cancer victims knew relatively little about the disease and suffered from popular stigmas. nancy brinker founded susan g. komen for the cure in honor of her sister, and today, the organization supports research and community awareness programs across the united states and around the world. nancy goodman brinker's unique passion and determination have been a blessing to all those who live -- whose lives have

been touched by breast cancer. in fact, it's these 1.5 million participants in the race for the cure and the thousands of people that this organization have touched that have led to the increased awareness of breast cancer. it's her work that has led to the infamous pastel pink being synonymous with breast cancer awareness and the work of the organization. but let us be clear, the work has done much more than create awareness about breast cancer research. nancy goodman brinker's work has saved lives. has saved lives. . we have discovered the first breast cancer susceptibility gene. the research dollars have led to the first use of magnetic

resonance imaging scanners, m.r.i.'s. they discovered the pathways that some cancer cells take in the body leading to treatments to potentially stop the spread of cancers to other organs. as a result of this continuous work, mortality from breast cancer is down. in the last decade deaths from breast cancer fell by over 20%. and more than 2.5 million people in the united states are breast cancer survivors. the largest group of cancer survivors in america. now, as we read through the life and work of nancy goodman brinker, one might think this sounds like an obituary. my friends, rest assured, nancy goodman brinker's contributions to society are far from over. while many might retire, given this long resume of accomplishments, she continues to take on the mantle and fight. since her retirement from public

service and on the government, she has returned back as the c.e.o. of the susan g. komen centers, and also was recently named the first ever world health organization's good will ambassador for cancer control. finally i would like to read a quote by our president, barack obama, when he issued the presidential medal of freedom to ms. brinker. he said, and i quote, one of the last things susi komen did before she passed away was ask her sister, nancy, to make her a promise. nancy promised her she would prevent other families battling breast cancer from hurting the way theirs had. what began with $200 and a list of friends has become a global race for the cure, a campaign that has eased the pain and saved the lives of millions around the world. in the month after her sister's

death, nancy lie awake at night thinking about the promise she had made and wondering whether one person could really make a difference. nancy's life is the answer. mr. speaker, that is the reason we rise today to honor nancy goodman brinker for what she has done, for what she continues to do, and for the inspiration she is to all americans of what one person can do for their country and for the world. with that i yield back and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for his remarks. as was noted on august 12, 2009, president obama awarded the presidential medal of freedom which is our nation's highest civilian honor, to ambassador nancy goodman brinker, in recognition of her efforts to

advance breast cancer awareness and research. and as noted by the president during the 2009 medal of freedom ceremony, the life of nancy goodman brinker serves truly to answer the question whether one person can truly make a difference. it is correct as the gentleman from illinois has noted that this began as a promise between sisters. and that as she was following- -following treatment and battling breast cancer, susan g. komen asked her beloved sister, nancy, to promise to do everything she could to ensure that other families battling breast cancer had the help they needed to fight the deadly disease. from that simple promise between sisters and in the honor of her sister, ambassador brinker has devoted her life to advancing breast cancer awareness and research. in 1982, two years following her sister's passing, ambassador brinker, a breast cancer survivor herself, established

the susan g. komen for the cure. global nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting breast cancer research. a program that has affected millions of families in america. notably susan g. commone for the cure which also serves as the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists has raised nearly $1.5 million to support advancement in breast cancer research, education, and health services since its inception. from its advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels in support of enhancing breast cancer screening and treatment programs to its coordination with local health grounts around the world to assist women in nearly 200 countries in becoming social, cultural, and economic barriers to breast health and treatment, susan g. komen for the cure stands as a treatment -- excuse me, as a testament to the bravery of susan g. komen as well as the commitment and vision of ambassador brinker.

susan g. commone for the cure faced an uphill battle to promote breast cancer awareness and research. in 1982 the disease received scant media attention and the fight against breast cancer was hampered by scarce resources and inadequate supply network and limited treatment options. however under the dedicated and creative leadership of ambassador brinker, the breast cancer movement has managed to break the silence surrounding the disease and secure major advances with respect to breast cancer research funding, education, and treatment. in 1983 ambassador brinker founded the susan g. komen race for the cure which is big in my district. and is presently the world's largest and most successful education and fundraising event for breast cancer. in addition, ambassador brinker has also pioneered the concept of cause related marketing through which her foundation has established a variety of strong

and enduring partnerships with businesses that share her commitment to ending breast cancer. annually the foundation raises over $30 million throughout its marketing partnerships. moreover, ambassador brink earn her foundation have played an instrumental role in securing the passage of key legislation to promote public investment and breast health and breast cancer care. most recently the organization contributed to the passage of an amendment authored by senator brash mikulski of maryland to the health care reform bill to ensure breast cancer screening is available for women between the ages of 40 and 49. as noted by ambassador brinker she'll continue her efforts until the amendment becomes law. in addition to her work on behalf of susan g. commone for the cure, her commitment to ending breast cancer can be witnessed to her service as good will ambassador as cancer control for the united nations world health organization. in this capacity ambassador

brinker has sought to raise breast cancer awareness and strengthen treatment programs in impoverished nations. as well as advocate in support of stronger global action for cancer prevention in accordance with the global strategy for prevention and control of noncommunicable disease that is endorsed by the world health assembly in 2008. mr. speaker, in light of ambassador brinker's tireless efforts on behalf of ending breast cancer and distinguished public service, it is not surprising as she was named as one of our nation's presidential medal of freedom recipients for 2009. let us congratulate ambassador brinker on her receipt of our nation's higher -- highest civilian honor and commemorate her life's work through the passage of h.r. 708. i urge my colleagues in supporting h.r. 708. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield two minutes to my distinguished colleague and good friend from the state of

florida, miss ileana ros-lehtinen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida is recognized for two minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my good friend, the gentleman from illinois, for his leadership on this crucial effort to eradicate breast cancer in our lifetime. i rise in support of his bill to congratulate ambassador nancy goodman brinker for receiving the presidential medal of freedom. since her sister's death 30 years ago, nancy has been devoted to finding a cure for breast cancer. as founder of the susan g. komen breast cancer foundation and the 5-k race for the cure, nancy's helped to raise almost $1 billion for this noble effort. in my congressional district the miami-fort lauderdale race for the cure has raised more than $4.5 million. our yearly local events reach hundreds of thousands of people as an educational outreach tool and grassroots movement builder. and the research grants for

nancy's foundation has contributed to many of the new treatments that have truly saved lives. and through efforts like hers, we have made important strides in increasing breast cancer awareness throughout our nation. today the susan g. komen breast cancer foundation is recognized as the leader in the fight against breast cancer. in solidarity with the countless survivors like my good friend and florida colleague, debbie wasserman schultz, i thank ambassador brinker for all that she has done and certainly all that she will continue to do in this noble fight against breast cancer. and i thank the gentleman for his time and i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: mr. speaker, we have no further speakers on this matter, but i continue to reserve our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield two minutes to my distinguished colleague and good

friend from the fine state of tennessee, mrs. blackburn. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from tennessee is recognized for two minutes. mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. speaker. i do thank the gentleman from illinois. it is such an honor for me today to rise in strong support of the resolution to congratulate ambassador nancy brinker for receiving the presidential medal of freedom. ambassador brinker founded susan g. komen for the cure in 1982. and has since built it into the world's leading breast cancer grassroots organization. the susan g. komen foundation awarded $780,000 in research grants in 2008 in my home state of tennessee. and we are grateful for those grants. through her advocacy efforts, ambassador brinker is to be commended for saving countless lives as a trail blazer fighting for the health of women worldwide. empowering patients, and raising billions in funding for

continued breast cancer research. she has worked tirelessly building an impressive resume of accomplishments, most recently being named the first ever world health organization's good will ambassador for cancer control. i commend ambassador brinker for standing with all women to raise awareness on the issue of mammography rationing in the health care reform bill and continuing to advocate for increased access to appropriate therapies and screenings for all americans. her contributions to society deserve much praise and each points back to her original goal. to ease suffering and raise awareness to eradicate breast cancer for all and to honor the memory of her sister. today we honor her. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: mr. speaker, we continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: thank you, mr. speaker. with that i urge all members to support the passage of house resolution 708 honoring one of the finest americans, nancy goodman brinker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. in closing again i urge my colleagues to join mr. schock of illinois in congratulating miss nancy goodman brinker on receiving the presidential medal of freedom through the passage of h.r. 708. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 708, as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts rise? mr. lynch: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules

and pass the bill h.r. 5095. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman needs to call up h.r. 4095. mr. lynch: i realize we are jumping around a little bit here, but this is the order they gave me. the clerk will report the title of the bill cofment the clerk: h.r. 4095, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 9727 antioch road in overland park, kansas, as the congresswoman jan meyers post office building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. lynch, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. schock, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous material. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lynch: mr. speaker, i yield

myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lynch: mr. speaker, as chairman of the house subcommittee with jurisdiction over the united states postal service, i am pleased to present h.r. 4095 for consideration. this legislation will designate the united states postal service facility located at 9727 antioch road in overland park, kansas, as the congresswoman jan meyers post office building. introduce bide my friend and colleague, representative dennis moore of kansas, on november 17, 2009, h.r. 4095 was reported out of the oversight and government reform committee on december 10, 2009, by a voice vote. notably h.r. 4095 has the support of the entire kansas house delegation. since the lead sponsor, mr. moore, is here, i would like to yield to him such time as he may consume in bringing this resolution to the floor. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: thank you. mr. speaker, i'm pleased today to rise in support of a

bipartisan legislation which i introduced with my colleagues in the kansas congressional delegation, h.r. 4095, designating the post office locating at 9727 antiock road in overland park, kansas, as the jan meyers post office building. she was elected in 1974 and re-elected in five subsequent elections. in 1995 she became the first republican woman to chair a standing house committee, the small business committee, in more than 40 years. that milestone capped jan's long tenure of a public servant that began with five years of service in the overland city council and five years in the state senate. as "congressional quarterly" described her, jan was a mild manner, known to compromise. she was made a key swing vote. janice lenoir was born in 1928 in lincoln, nebraska, daughter

of a newspaper publisher. jan and her brother, don, was named in superior, nebraska. in 16948 she graduated with an associate fine arts degree in fulton, missouri, and with a b.a. in communications from the university of nebraska in 1951. following graduation, she worked in advertising and public relations. she married dutch meyers who became a kansas city television executive and they raised a daughter and son, valerie and philip. jan's career in kansas g.o.p. politics began in 1966 when she served as overland park chairwoman. two years later she was the sdwrict co-chair for senator dole's string of senate races. and jan chaired a race in 1970. she served as member of the overland park city council. in 1972, jan won election to the kansas state senate and

served there for the next 12 years rising to chair the public health and welfare committee as well as the local government committee. when representative wynn renired 1984, jan entered the g.o.p. primary to succeed him. it was nestled in kansas across the river from the metropolitan kansas city, missouri. in a five-way race, she won the party nomination. and in the general election, she faced democratic candidate, kansas city mayor jack reardon. she campaigned around the district. when congresswoman meyers arrived in the house after winning that race, she was appointed to the committee on science and technology, the committee on small business, and the select committee on aging. in the 100th congress, she transferred from science and technology to the foreign affairs committee. jan was most active on the small business committee where she introduced a number of legislative measures to protect small business interests and to ensure they had fair representation in government.

she worked to bring permanent tax cuts for small businesses. when republicans took control of the house in 1994 elections, jan meyers was promoted to chair of the small business committee. it marked the first time that a republican woman had chaired a house committee since edth north rogers chaired in 1953 to 1955. later i hoped that women continue to run and continue to get elected. jan declined to run in 1996 saying she wanted to spend more time with her family. it does not leave time. she also said she believed the members of congress should serve no more than 10 to 14 years. jan returned to overland park, kansas, where she joined foundation boards for a local library and a community college. mr. speaker, jan meyers was a valued and important member of congress during her tenure in this body. and it's fitting today that we vote on her behalf a post

office in the city she served as commissioner. this is bipartisan. i ask for the support of my colleagues. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: thank you, mr. speaker. i would yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. schock: thank you. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of house resolution 4095 which would designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 9727 antioch road in overland park, kansas, as the congresswoman jan meyers post office building. congresswoman meyers dedicated her career to serving the people of kansas. after working on larry wynn's successful campaign for a kansas city based house seat in 1966, meyers began her own career in public service as the overland park city council from 1967 to 16972. in 1972 meyers won a seat in the kansas senate. she became chair of the public

health and welfare committee. in 1984, congressman larry wynn decided to retire and meyers won the seat. she served her constituents for five terms during which time she became the chair of the small business committee. she was the first woman in almost 20 years to chair a permanent house committee. small businesses were very important to her throughout her career. she once commented that, quote, there may be more dramatic issues, but none that are more important because the small business sector employs at least 50%, maybe a little more of the individuals in this country, virtually all of the entry-level employees are with small business. a quote that is relevant today. while some wanted to eliminate the small business committee at the time, congresswoman meyers wanted to make sure that the

committee was seen as purpose. she decided to not run in order to spend time with her family. she lowered taxes and reduced regulations on small business owners. throughout her five terms of service, congresswoman meyers believed that it was very important to, quote, listen to your conscience and your constituents both. most of the time they'll agree, she said. mr. speaker, to honor congresswoman meyers' career of service and the work that she did both for her constituents in kansas and for small business owners throughout america, i encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill. and i'd reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: mr. speaker, we have no further speakers on this matter. however, i continue to reserve our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserve. the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: thank you, mr. speaker. i would yield four minutes to my distinguished colleague from

the great state of kansas, mr. jerry moran. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas is recognized for four minutes. mr. moran: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the gentleman from illinois for recognizing me. i'm here today to honor former kansas congresswoman jan meyers, a fiscal conservative and a true public servant. jan served in the house of representatives from 1985 to 1997 representing the communities around kansas city. in 1995, she became the first woman chairman of the house committee since 16976. before her election, she -- to congress she lembd on the overland park city council, and as a senator in the kansas state legislature. while serving kansans in the house of representatives, jan was a consistent advocate for fiscal responsibility, an example that many in washington today could follow. she was always promoting legislation in the small business committee to protect small business owners or offering conservative solutions

during the debate over welfare reform. she could always be remembered that -- she always remembered that when congress spent money it was the taxpayers' money, not the government's. she regularly voted to cut taxes so that americans could keep more of what they earned and worked to reduce the budget deficit and eliminate wasteful government spending. kansas son and american hero, bob dole, summed it up well that she, quote, never stopped fighting to reduce the regulatory and tax burdens on america's small business men and women. she was a true steward. yet, it was her caring and attentive nature that kansans really remember. although a conservative republican, jan reached out to kansans of every philosophy. she was sensitive to the needs of kansans and always quick to respond to their problems. jan never forgot who she worked for and always had time for the folks back home. to me, jan was more than an ideal public servant.

she's also a friend. the manner in which she met difficult circumstances with a smile gave me comfort on several occasions and i value her kindness and gentle spirit. while we recognize jan today, it's also important to note the recent loss of jan's husband of 56 years, dutch. together, jan and dutch made a good team and raised two wonderful children. our nation needs more public servants like jan meyers. people that are good stewards of taxpayer money and put service above self. designating a post office in her hometown of overland park in her name will remind kansans of these characteristics and honor her legacy for years to come. i thank jan meyers for a job well done and

mr. lynch, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. schock, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous materials. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lynch: mr. speaker, on behalf of the committee on oversight and government reform, i'm proud to present house concurrent resolution 158 for consideration. this resolution expresses support for the designation of an early detection month for breast cancer and all forms of cancer. house concurrent resolution 158 was introduced by my friend and colleague, representative bob etheridge of nrk on june 25,

2009, and was favorably reported out of the house oversight committee by voice vote on december 12, 2009. in addition, the legislation enjoys the support of more than 50 members of congress. in recognition of mr. etheridge's sponsorship, i'd like to recognize him and yield him such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. etheridge: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of this resolution expressing the support for the designation of early detection of -- detection month for cancer. i'd also like to thank my friend, chairman towns, for his work in bringing this bill to the floor. every year almost two million americans are diagnosed with cancer. tragically, more than one quarter of those cases result in death. early detection can help patients get early treatment. it can stop the spread of the

disease before it becomes untreatable or before it requires expensive medical treatments and can be the difference between life and death. early detection saves tens of thousands of lives annually but also greatly reduces the financial strain on government and private health care services. several years ago i was diagnosed with melanoma. my cancer was found early because i see my doctor regularly. congresswoman wasserman schultz, who joins me in this, found hers early because she was aware to test for the early signs of cancer. as cancer survivors ourselves, we want to enable all americans to know that knowledge and access to care that can lead to early detection. this resolution expresses the support for an early detection month beginning in may, 2010. this concurrent resolution

enhances public awareness of cancer screening and the early detection so that any person who gets cancer can have a chance to survive. mr. speaker, early detection is critical to help reduce the tragedy of cancer deaths in our country. i urge my colleagues to join me in fighting the disease that has claimed so many lives but has the support for early detection. if we do that we can beat it. with that i yield back the balance of my time. . mr. schock: i rise today in support of house concurrent resolution 158 which expresses the support for the designation of an early detention month for breast cancer and all forms of cancer. each year in the united states, there are over 1.4 million new

cases of cancer and hundreds of thousands of americans die from this dreaded disease. most of us know a family member, a friend, or colleague who has been diagnosed with cancer, who has died from a struggle with cancer. inevitably cancer will affect every one of us in some way. while early detection of cancer does not make every case treatable, early detention can dramatically increase the chances of survival. the american cancer society reports that the rate of death from breast cancer has been declining since 1990 largely because of the increased rate of early detention. the american cancer society has similar conclusions for the declining mortality rate among men diagnosed with prostate cancer. early detection is essential to helping to treat cancer and save thousands of lives every year. unfortunately, despite the benefits of early detection, many americans do not get the yearly examinations from their

doctors that could detect various kinds of cancer. the american cancer society reports that only 51% of all women 40 years and older had a mammogram in the last year, less than half of all men age 50 and older were screened for prostate cancer in the last year. nearly half of all americans who are in the age groups most vulnerable for these types of cancers are not getting the early detection of the early detection test that could save their lives. mr. speaker, we need to encourage more americans to get early cancer detection tests such as mammograms and prostate screenings. i strongly encourage my colleagues to support this resolution which will create an early detection month and raise public awareness of the importance of early detection of cancer to encourage more americans to get lifesaving early detection tests. appreciate the opportunity to speak in support of this, mr. speaker. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from

massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from illinois and north carolina. i will not repeat what they have said but i do want to draw down on some of the numbers that have been offered by the american cancer society. they report that in 2009 1.5 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the united states alone. in addition, the american cancer society notes that roughly one out of every two american men and one out of every three american women will have some type of cancer at some point in their lifetime. they also report that the most common types of cancer in the united states are nonmelanoma skin cancer, breast cancer in women, and prostate cancer in men. one out of every eight women in the united states will develop breast cancer. and about one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. furthermore, the american cancer society estimates that in 2009

more than 560,000 americans died of cancer. in other words, more than 1,500 people lost their lives to cancer every day last year. the american cancer society also notes that cancer accounts for nearly one out of every four deaths in the u.s. which makes cancer the second cause of death in the united states exceeded only by heart disease. despite these statistics with early detection and proper management, cancer can be highly treatable. as noted by the american cancer society, the five-year relative survival rate for all cancers diagnosed between 1996 and 2004 is about 66%. it's up from 50% in 1975. to 1977. the five-year relative survival for female breast cancer has improved from 63% in early 1960 to 89% today. additionally over the past 25 years the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer has

increased from 69% to almost 99% . now, cancer can strike any individual regardless of gender, race, or age. but still it is important to note that the risk of being diagnosed with cancer increases with age. in fact, according to the american cancer society, 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in persons 5 years and older. -- 55 years and older. greater awareness of early detection of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and all other cancers will save tens of thousands of lives and they also help decrease the financial strain on government and private health care services by detecting cancer before it requires costly medical treatment. accordingly let us take this opportunity through passage of house concurrent resolution 158 to increase public awareness of breast cancer and all forms and types of cancer and encourage all americans to work with their doctors in order to maximize the possibility of early detection. i urge my colleagues to join mr.

etheridge in supporting house concurrent resolution 158. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: thank you, mr. speaker. i now yield two minutes to my good friend from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida is recognized for two minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you so much, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman from illinois for the time. i rise in support of this bill for the designation of an early detection month for breast cancer. i do so in solidarity with and through the strength of thousands of breast cancer survivors. almost everyone in this country, unfortunately, knows someone who has suffered from breast cancer. breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women. but it is becoming one of the most survivable cancers if the disease is detected early. which is the purpose of the bill before us. we must remain vigilant in our efforts to educate and diagnose

and treat. with these three pillars -- education, diagnosis, and treatment -- we can and we will save lives. let us make sure that we educate one another on the dangers of breast cancer and the need for early and routine checkups. early detection makes the difference in surviving this terrible disease. in memory of congresswoman jo ann davis who passed away at the age of 57 while serving last congress after a two-year battle with breast cancer. and for my baby granddaughter, morgan elizabeth, let us make sure that our efforts to defeat this terrible disease continue with the same strength and even stronger in our effort at early detection for all individuals in our country and indeed the world. i thank the gentleman for the time. i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: mr. speaker, we continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock:thank you, mr. speaker. i would now yield four minutes to my good friend from indiana, mr. burton. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana is recognized for four minutes. mr. burton: mr. speaker, i believe probably everybody in the house and in the senate have someone that they know or knew that had breast cancer. or another form of cancer. my first wife, barbara, died about eight years ago from cancer. and i'll never forget the day that she felt a lump in her breast. she thought it was a fiberous tissue. she had those before. and she didn't want to go have herself tested. i said i want you to go to the doctor and have him look at that. he did and she called me a couple days later when i was out here in washington and she started crying and she said i've got breast cancer. of course we went back home.

i went back home and we went to the doctor and went through all the things you have to go through, including the chemo therapy. for any family that's gone through that, they know how very difficult it is. had she had a mammogram earlier, she might not have had the cancer metastasize and go to other parts of her body and she ultimately passed away. it was a tragic thing to watch that. that's why this bill although it may sound like just a resolution, is very, very important. one of the things in the health care negotiations that's been going on that's concerned me a great deal is there was some talk about limiting mammograms to people in their -- 50 and above and people 40 and above, between 40 and 50, might not be included in getting mammograms and having coverage for that either under the health plans for insurance plans. i want to read awe letter from a young lady -- you a letter from a young lady in my district, here's what she says. i was diagnosed with triple

negative breast cancer in may of 2008 at age 39. i found this lump myself. i had a baseline mammogram at age 35 it came back clear. at age 35 she didn't have a problem. i was advised not to have another mammogram until age 40. the raid yol disthat read my mammogram at age 39 told me if i would have had a mammogram at age 36, 37, 38, most likely i would not have had to have a masectomy and 14 limp nodes removed. my cancer spread to my lungs and chest. while after doing chemotherapy and radiation. after completing nine different types of chemo as of november 24, 2009, i am finally cancer free. please fight for us breast cancer survivors and the young women in the future. i believe mammograms should be available and paid for by insurance companies at any age. when we talk about limiting breast cancers to people 50 and above, i think we make a mistake because cancer does -- breast

cancer does kill one in every eight women are going to get breast cancer in their lifetime. it's going to affect families across this country. so i think we ought to make sure that we don't start limiting mammograms to only people 50 and above. it's been 40 and above for some time. in this particular case it wouldn't have helped her because she was in her 30's when she developed breast cancer. it's a very, very serious thing. unless somebody has lived with it, they don't understand how horrible it is to watch somebody pass away going through the trey vails of cancer. i want -- trey vails of cancer -- travails of cancer. i want to thank my colleagues for sponsoring this bill. i hope the negotiations on the health care bill regardless of how we come out we make sure we take care of these women suffering from these things and catch it before it becomes terminal. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman for his remarks. we continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman reserves. the gentleman from illinois. mr. schock: with that, mr. speaker, i urge passage of house concurrent resolution 158. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker. again i encourage my friends on both sides of the aisle to join mr. etheridge in supporting the designation of an early detection month for breast cancer and all forms of cancer. through the passage of house concurrent resolution 158 and we yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 158, as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are -- the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. lynch: i object to the vote on the grounds a quorum is not present and i raise a point of order a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on the further proceedings on the motion will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts rise? mr. mcgovern: by direction of the committee on rules, i call up house resolution 1017 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 149, house resolution 1017. resolved, that upon the adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the house the bill h.r. 3254, to approve the taos pueblo indian water rights settlement agreement and for other purposes. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule 21. the amendment in the nature of a

substitute recommended by the committee on natural resources now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. the bill as amended shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions of the bill as amended are waived. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill as amended and on any further amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one, one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on natural resources. two, the further amendment printed in part a of the report of the committee on rules accompanying this resolution if offered by representative mcclintock of california or his designee which shall be in order without intervention of any point of order except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule 21. shall be considered as read. shall be separately debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the

question. and three, one motion to recommit with or without instructions. section 2, upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the house the bill h.r. 3342, to authorize the secretary of the interior acting through the commissioner of reclamation to develop water infrastructure in the rio grande basin and approve the settlement of the water right claims of the pueblo. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule 21. the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on natural resources now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. the bill as amended shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions of the bill as amended are waived. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the

bill as amended and on any further amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one, one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on natural resources. two, the further amendment printed in part b of the report of the committee on rules if offered by representative mcclintock of california or his designee which shall be in order without intervention of any point of order except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule 21 shall be considered as read, shall be separately debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by a proponent and opponent and shall not be subject to demand for division of the question. . and three, one motion to recommit with or without instructions. section 3. upon the adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the house the bill h.r. 1065, to resolve water rights claims of the white mountain apache tribe in the state of arizona, and for

other purposes. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule 21. the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on natural resources now printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in part c of the report of the committee on rules, shall be considered as adopted. the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions of the bill, as amended, are waived. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except, one, one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on natural resources. two, the further amendment printed in part d of the report of the committee on rules, if offered by representative mcclintock of california or his designee, which shall be in order without intervention of

any point of order except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule 21, shall be considered as read, shall be separately debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. and three, one motion to recommit with or without instructions. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized for one hour. mr. mcgovern: thank you. mr. speaker, for the purpose of debate only, i yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from florida, mr. diaz-balart. all time yielded during consideration of this rule is for debate only. i yield myself such time as i may consume. i also ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on house resolution 1017. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcgovern: thank you. mr. speaker, house resolution 1017 provides for three measures dealing with water rights settlements. each bill is to be considered under a structured amendment process. the rule provides for the

consideration of h.r. 3254, the taos pueblo indian water rights settlement act, h.r. 3342, the aamodt litigation settlement act, and h.r. 1065, the white mountain apache tribe water rights quantification act of 2009. each hour has one hour of general debate to be controlled by the chairman on natural resources. it self-executes an amendment to ensure the bill is pay-go compliant. each bill has a separate amendment by representative mcclintock which is debatable for 10 minutes. the rule also allows a motion to recommit with or without instructions for each of the three bills. h.r. 1055, the -- 1065, the white mountain apache tribe water rights quantification act of 2009, h.r. 3254, the taos pueblo indian water rights settlement act, and h.r. 3342, aamodt litigation settlement act, are all bipartisan pieces of legislation and are all

sensible pieces of legislation. each of these bills will approve, ratify and confirm carefully negotiated settlement agreements between tribal representatives, nonindian water users and the united states government. these agreements will provide both the tribes involves that affect the communities in arizona and new mexico proper access to clean water. these three bills will provide completecal funding for the development of drinking water supplies for people who have been hauling their water for years in the backs of their puckups. these bills will improve the health of young native americans by providing clean drinking water and certainly to non-indian people that the water will be available to them for development use. h.r. 1065 provides the required congressional approval for the agreement between the white mountain apache tribe and water users throughout arizona. this legislation boasts the support of the entire

bipartisan arizona delegation. h.r. 3254 and h.r. 3342 each a proved water settlement agreements in new mexico are considered critical to clean water access to the taos valley and rio grande watershed. both of these bills were favorably reported by voice vote out of the natural resources committee. unfortunately, mr. speaker, it has taken decades to work out these settlements. congress has a responsibility to approve these settlements now and provide clean drinking water access for the affected tribes and the non-indian people and for generations to come. i believe it's time for congress to move on these bills, and i'm pleased that chairman rahall and the natural resources committee has worked in a bipartisan way to move these bills through the process. now, there are some concern on the other side of the aisle about the justice department has not commented formally on these bills. our colleague from california, mr. mcclintock, believes the department of justicious formally respond to each of these bills before they take

effect. the gentleman from california has legitimate concerns and these should be considered on the floor today, and that is why we made this amendment in order on each of these bills. this is a good rule. i urge my colleagues to support it today, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: mr. speaker, i'd like to thank the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern, for the time and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. diaz-balart: over the next two days the house is set to consider three separate bills that will approve and ratify tribal claims to water rights made by the white mountain apache tribe in arizona and the pueblos of san ildefonso, tesuque and taos in new mexico. it would restore and protect some environmentally sensitive land and watersheds and would require the maintenance of the water systems in question until they're conveyed to the respective tribes.

i support these bills. when the mcclintock amendments are included. because i believe the settlements will bring long-term certainty to the respective tribes and water users in the affected areas. mr. speaker, last night, the majority in the rules committee decided to allow for consideration all three of the amendments submitted to the three bills we are set to consider this week. i wish to thank them for their uncharacteristic generosity in allowing minority amendments. but these important amendments would prevent the bill from taking effect until the attorney general assures congress in writing that the settlements in these bills would represent a net benefit to the u.s. taxpayer based on the costs and risks of litigation and the odds the tribes would prevail in the litigation. i believe these amendments are important because they require the attorney general to conduct

a cost benefit analysis of the settlements and ensure that they are fiscally responsible before the settlement funds can be paid. now, i assume that the other side of the aisle will highlight that this rule allows debate on all of the amendments which were submitted to the rules committee. but it restricts any and all possible further amendments from consideration. it is not an open rule. the majority campaigned on a promise to allow open and bipartisan debates in congress. yet, this year they have yet to allow even one open rule. that is correct. not one open rule. and that, mr. speaker, includes even the traditionally open appropriations process. they could have changed that

glaring and unfortunate statistic by allowing an open rule on the underlying, uncontroversial bill, but the majority in the rules committee decided to continue to make this the most closed congress in history. now, let's look at the possible reasons the majority on the rules committee decided to vote against an open rule for these bills. could it be that there's not enough time on the house schedule this week? well, the house until last night was scheduled to be in session until friday, and this rule has proposed only allows for a total of 3 1/2 hours of total debate time for all three bills and all three amendments. even though we are now scheduled to leave on thursday, we still have enough time to complete all three bills with an open rule.

i sincerely doubt that an open rule would garner more than a handful of amendments. it would allow the majority to say for the first time and to prove, at least offer some evidence, that they're living up to their pledge to run an open congress. i believe the real reason is that the majority is afraid of an open debate even on noncontroversial bills and so they restrict debate consistently. it has become their standard operating procedure to close debate in the house. it's unfortunate but it's a fact. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate how well my colleague on the rules committee adheres to the republican talking points, but i will again reiterate that all the amendments before the rules committee last night were made in order and i think this is a

good rule. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: well, it's not a question of talking points. it's a question of facts. we will move on. i at this point yield, mr. speaker, five minutes to my distinguished friend from florida, mr. buchanan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized for five minutes. mr. buchanan: i want to thank the gentleman from florida. i appreciate the opportunity. my simple resolution requires that all negotiations on the health care bill be conducted under the watchful eye of the american people. the american people are angry and for good reason. washington is not listening. last night i think it's a perfect example. it's not about democrat and republican. it's about american people want to have more input into the process. even worse, washington's not even letting the american people into the room to discuss or hear the health care reform

debate. secret deals, back room deals on the health care bill should not be tolerated. in the state of florida, you can't have -- we have the toughest sunshine laws in the country. you can't have two city commissioners, two county commissioners, two state senators, anybody can't go in the back room together and cut a deal or secret deal and then lay that on the american people. we want to bring that sunshine to washington. i'm pleased that we have over 165 members that have joined me in this cause and co-sponsored this bill, this resolution. democrats and republicans. also, i introduced, and we have 111 members that have signed our discharge petition to force a vote on the floor. we want to get a vote to the floor on this sunshine resolution, and we feel confident that we're going to be able to do that. c-span has offered to publicly

broadcast the health care meetings, and congressional leaders should accept that opportunity. even the president said during the campaign eight different times that he wants this to be the most open, transparent administration in history. he said eight different times he wanted c-span in the room. c-span has agreed to be in the room during these negotiations. i don't want to be as a member of congress end up with a 3,000-page bill at the end of the day that nobody has had a chance to read and you have a day or so to look at it. i think there's a good reason why speaker pelosi doesn't want the negotiations in public. because basically it's a bad bill. they want to cut, in my area of florida, we have the most seniors, almost 300,000 in our district, more than any other district in the country, they want to cut medicare $500 billion. i've seen the cuts.

they're very real. they want to raise taxes on small business. i know the biggest issue we got is the economy and jobs. working families want to get back to work, but yet they want to charge 8% on payroll. i've been in business for 30 years. i'm not a career politician. i can tell you that will kill more jobs than anything. that's a fixed expense. 8% on payroll. they want to charge another 5.4% tax on businesses, and most businesses have pass-through income. whether they are l.l.c., partnership or whatever kind of business, they want to raise the tax fathers 34, let bush's tax cut sunset, and another 5.4, take it 49% in florida. in many states like california that have a state income tax or oregon or new york of 10% or 15%, it could take it up as high as 60%. so these small businesses have a lot of pass-through income.

they're not going to have the capital. they are going to be sending the money here. that's going to cut more jobs. it's time to bring sunshine to washington that we got in florida, and i yield back. florida, and i yield back. . mr. mcgovern: in the last three months of the bush administration the economy was losing on average of 673,000 jobs per month. in the last three months of 2009, the average job loss was 69,000 per month an improvement of nearly 90%. that is not acceptable, but we are trying to bring this economy in a different direction. they drove this economy into a ditch.

let's not forget that. let's not forget the economy that president obama inherited. let's not forget the record job losses and the stock market crash and all the special deals on wall street. i have heard enough from the other side about the issue of jobs. they nearly ruined this economy. they are responsible for the massive job losses that we see now that we are trying to fix. enough about that. i will go back to what we are talking about here today and that is a rule to consider these important bills dealing with clean water for native american tribes. i would again reiterate this is a good rule. everything they wanted they got. and i hope it will pass unanimously. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: mr. speaker, we saw last night the blame game no longer works. and if we want to look at the

past, we will see that when we cut taxes we make it a reality, the recession after 9/11, was the shortest recession in history. now, unfortunately the policies that are being followed now are totally different. they are increasing debt, massively. the deficit as a percentage of g.d.p. after tarp that i opposed, but it can be said it was a bipartisan decision, tarp, after tarp the deficit as a percentage of g.d.p. was 4%. today, one year after the democrats took the presidency and they had already taken the house and senate, the deficit as

a percentage of g.d.p. is almost 12%. we are running in a dangerous direction t heading toward a collision with a fiscal crisis of unprecedented proportion. but, mr. speaker, the democrats just don't get it. they don't see it. the american people sent a message last night that they better, but it still remains to be seen whether they received the message. i'd like to yield six minutes to my distinguished friend from virginia, mr. wolf. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized for six minutes. mr. wolf: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. i rise in opposition to the rule but today the press is reporting that a backroom deal has been fix with democratic leadership to create a commission by executive order. there are also reports instead

of putting every spending program and tax policy on the table, discretionary spending controlled by the democratic appropriations committee would be exempt. i oppose creating this panel by executive order. the american people will oppose this sleight of hand also. press reports suggest that the democratic leadership intends to bring the commission's recommendation up for a vote in congress, but a vote that is not mandated as it would be if congress passed similar legislation statutorily. more important, a vote that could have taken place under the plan would happen after the midterm election and before the newly elected congress begins, it would be basically a lame duck congress vote. lawmakers who are retiring or get to vote on the senate recommendations with regard to entitlement spending and tax policy but never be accountable to the american people. is it right for an outgoing member of congress to consider

proposals that could affect every single american knowing that days or weeks later they would no longer answer to voters in the district they once represented? between the democrats and the republicans in both chambers, over 30 members have already announced they are retiring or running for another office. it is not appropriate for outgoing lawmakers who may eventually lobby for a special interest that have a vested interest the in the outcome of the vote on this mission to vote on that recommendation. any recommendation put forward should be considered by the newly elected congress who have to publicly stand by their vote on the commission's recommendations. members who have been elected and are accountable to the american people. a deficit commission established by executive order amounts to nothing more than political cover. this congress has run up the country's credit card to the point of no return. now the administration wants to be able to tally bipartisan

solution to spending that will conveniently help them survive the upcoming election cycle. all of a sudden the obama administration has found deficit cutting religion, the same administration that pushed through $787 billion of economic stimulus promised that our unemployment would be held under 8% now wants to get our nation's financial health in order. the same administration that promised open and transparent process on health care reform, which is now being negotiated behind closed doors and could cost taxpayers nearly $1 trillion, now wants the credibility on spending issues. the f.y. 2009 budget deficit registered at $1.4 trillion. i believe the person people understand the depth of our financial problems, recognize the spending gorge that congress has embarked on and won't be fooled by a fig leaf commission established by executive order. moreover, mr. speaker, the

american people will be cut out of a process under this plan. the bipartisan commission process i have talked about and many members on both sides have talked about for four years includes a legitimate public engagement mandating public town hall-style meetings throughout the country. now there will be no input from the hardworking people in the neighborhoods and communities. that is not right and everyone knows it. if lawmakers were serious about the debt and deficittish shoes that americans are increasingly worried about, congress would halt the budget gimmicks, slick talking points, and have an honest conversation with the american people about where we are, where we are headed, and what changes need to be made to get back on track. but an open process that allows the american people to weigh in will never happen to a commission established by executive order. all done here in washington. this morning congressman lamar smith, our colleague from texas, in a one-minute speech on the

floor offered a series of lessons to be learned from yesterday's special senate election in massachusetts. he said, all true reform starts with a voice of the people. the people will not have a voice in a deficit commission established through an executive order. he also said that common sense triumphs partisanship. a commission through executive order negotiated by one party is the height of partisanship. the republican leadership in the house and senate have not been involved in this effort. he also said voters can exercise real independence. where is the voice of the people in a process that will not go beyond the beltway? in closing mr. smith correctly, i say correctly noted, that one party control leads to arrogance. we are seeing today an arrogance of power of our party that forecloses the minority from a seat at the table. to be fair, to be fair republicans were just as

arrogant at times. hopefully we have learned a lesson and will never go back to those times. mr. smith concluded that we should be listening to the american people not define them. the people of massachusetts spoke yesterday. we would be wise in this congress to heed that lesson. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgotsche: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time. does the gentleman have any additional speakers? mr. diaz-balart: yes, we have an additional speaker. the republican leader is on his way here. you reserve? mr. mcgovern: yes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: as we wait for the republican leader, let me say that i have enjoyed this debate. these are noncontroversial bills that are being brought to the

floor and yet they are important. and also there are issues that have been brought out and that will be brought out now, i will have -- i will oppose the previous question to bring out the issue that mr. buchanan talked about and bring it to a floor vote. this morning. since the democrats regained the majority in the house, i have heard a number of members come down to the floor and quote supreme court justice brandeis that sunshine is said to be the best disinfectant. i think that quote is fitting today considering, as mr.

buchanan pointed out, that as we speak, the majority is drafting behind closed doors with no sunshine in sight, health care legislation that will affect every american. so i think the question is begged. what is going on behind those closed doors? we don't know. we do not even know who is at the table. the american people deserve to know what is going on. behind closed doors. we need to bring sunlight, sunshine into a process that is shrouded with secrecy. that is why i, along with a

bipartisan group of 163 members of this house have co-sponsored house resolution 847, a resolution by my friend and colleague, representative buchanan, that expresses the sense of the house that any meetings held to determine the final content of sweeping health care legislation be held in public view and not behind closed doors. mr. buchanan pointed out the fact that c-span has offered in fulfillment of the campaign promise by the president to be present, c-span, at the negotiations. now, in order to help bring in sunshine to a process that the majority continues to hide from public view, i will be asking for a no vote on the previous question so that we can amend this rule and allow the house to consider the buchanan frps resolution.

-- transparency resolution. this vote will give members of the majority the chance to live up to their promise as the distinguished speaker said, and i quote, to lead the most honest, most open, and most ethical congress in history, end quote. madam speaker, i know that members are concerned that this motion may jeopardize consideration of the water rights bills, the settlements bills being brought to the floor today, but i wish to make clear the motion i am making provides for separate consideration of the buchanan transparency resolution within three days. so we can vote on the water rights bills and then once we are done considering the buchanan transparency resolution. h.res. 847. i have been informed that the republican leader will not be coming down to the floor at this time. madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to incertificate the 2ecks, amendment, and extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question. i yield back the balance of my

time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: thank you, madam speaker. in closing let me say a couple things. one is this is a good rule and it should be approved. secondly, i say this with respect to my friends on the other side of the aisle, but when they talk about sunshine, it's laughable. . when you compare the openness of this democratic congress to the way this place was run when they were in charge, there's no comparison. i mean, i remember one night that after a conference report was completed and all the signatures were on the conference report they snuck in a special provision to provide special immunity to drug companies. that's the kind of transparency and openness that existed when they were in control. on the health care bills it's been on the web. they read it never bait am.

so -- verbatim. so there has never been as much openness and transparency in any congress as we have seen in this congress. secondly, when my friend from florida talks about the deficit, boy, what a short memoryry -- memory. when bill clinton left office he had eliminated the deficit and we started paying down the debt, that left george bush and dick cheney and my republican friends with a surplus, with a surplus. and through their reckless policies, tax breaks to millionaires, special privileges for wall street and drug companies and all that they did, they racked up a record debt. and they did nothing about it. in fact, when they were in charge they used to argue on the floor that somehow the deficit and the debt didn't matter anymore. they tried to say it wasn't a big deal.

so they left this president with a mess, i guess sometimes it's fun to make a mess, but it's not so fun and not so easy to clean up a mess. and the democrats in congress and the president of the united states have to clean up the mess that they've left. and it's a little bit ironic that those who drove this economy into a ditch are complaining about the size of the tow truck. but the fact of the matter is we have to make some tough decisions, we have to create the conditions for jobs to grow, we have to invest in industries where there is a future and we are trying to do that. again, in the last three months of the bush administration the economy was losing on average 673,000 jobs per month. in the last three months of 2009 the average job loss was 59,000 per month, an improvement of nearly 90%. and that's unacceptable and we on the democratic side have

pledged to do everything we can to help create more jobs in this country, to focus on the issue of jobs, because that's where the concern amongst the american people really is. and the stock market, stocks have seen significant gains since the beginning of march, 2009. following the passage of the recovery act which they all were opposed to. the dow is up 58% and the s&p 500 is up 64% and the nasdaq is up 75%. g.d.p. growth in the first quarter of 2009, g.d.p. was negative, now g.d.p. is on the rise. the best quarter for growth in two years. and forecasters predict steady g.d.p. growth throughout 2010. we see home sales are now rising. we see manufacturing beginning to rebound, u.s. manufacturing activity rose 55.9% from 53.6%

in november, reaching the highest level since april of 2006 and a positive indication of broader economic growth. so it is difficult to sit here and listen to lectures from members on the other side of the aisle who created this mess, the worst economy since the great depression. that's what they gave to president obama. but we have to fix it. and we have pledged to do whatever is necessary to help put people back to work, to help people be able to stay in their homes, to help nurture growth in future industries. so, madam speaker, i appreciated the comments from my friends on the other side of the aisle, it's hard to believe they can come here with a straight face and talk about these things given their abysmal record but we're going to fix the mess that they made and again i would urge my colleagues to support the rule and i would urge a yes vote on the previous question on the

rule and i yield back the balance of my time and move the previous question on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the question has been ordered -- the question is on ordering the previous question on the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. >> madam speaker. madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: we request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? mr. rangel: madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and call up h.r. 4462 as amended and ask for its immediate

consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4462, a bill to accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of victims of the earthquake in haiti. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. rangel, and the gentleman from california, mr. herger, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. rangel: madam speaker, i'd like permission to use as much time as i may consume at this point in time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. rangel: all of us have witnessed this horrendous event that has taken place in our continent and i know that whether republican or democrat that we all want to be able to do whatever we can to ease the pain on these poor people and that's why i'm glad that mr. herger's here representing the

republicans on the ways and means committee that did not hesitate to meet and decide just what could we do as a committee to make it easier to encourage people to make contributions. i know all over the country people are getting -- collecting clothes and food and things of that nature. but the bottom line is that they need cash, they need checks and that this is what we have decided to do and so we have a nonpartisan bill here on this -- which deals with the technicality. it's available on the joint committee's website, www.jct.gov and it's listed -- www.jct.gov, and it's listed, and i ask that that be made a part of the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. rangel: what this bill does is allow americans and others to

make generous cash contributions to the charity of their choice and at the same time not have to wait until next year to be able to deduct this as a charitable contribution. it accelerates the time that this can be done between now and march so that any contribution that is made can be deducted on the 2009 tax return that's being prepared now for april 15. in addition to that there's been some question as to how you can document the actual payment if it was made on the cell phone or if it was made without actually

having a proof of a charitable deduction. the only proof that could be made would be using the telephone bill and there was a question as to whether or not that would be considered as sufficient evidence of making the contribution and this bill will indeed make it possible for a text message to be relied upon that's used in the cell phone when claiming this charitable contribution and i yield to myself the remainder of the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? mr. herger: madam speaker, i request unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. herger: madam speaker, we have all been moved by the reports and images of last

week's horrendous earthquake in haiti. and we were reminded just this morning of the dire situation that country is facing as reports have surfaced of a major aftershock. throughout our history americans have been eager to help others recover from the devastation of wars and natural disasters in far away places. once again we have seen the compassion and generosity of the american people displayed front and center in the haiti relief effort. including an outpouring of realtime donations through cell phones and the internet, with many of our own u.s. citizens struggling to find work and make ends meet it is only fitting that we should provide immediate tax relief for these charitable contributions. this bill, which is sponsored by the bipartisan leadership of ways and means committee, as well as the whips of both

parties, and more than 150 members from both sides of the aisle, would permit itemizers to treat haiti-related charitable contributions made through the end of february as if they were made in 2009 rather than 2010. this would allow itemizers the opportunity to claim the charitable deduction under 2009 returns which most taxpayers are required to file by april 15 of this year instead of waiting until they file their 2010 returns. it would also permit taxpayers to use cell phone text messages to contribute to the relief effort, to use their phone bill as a record of their donation. this is a commonsense bipartisan idea and it deserves the support

of every member. i urge an aye vote and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. rangel: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to kendrick meeks, he's a member of the ways and means committee but more importantly, he's closely identified in bring the bringing back of haiti -- in the bringing back of haiti before this tragedy. he's been there and we admire and respect the contributions he's making to rebuild this great nation. i yield two minutes to mr. meeks from florida. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. meeks: thank you, mr. chairman, thank you, madam speaker. i want to thank all of the members that are here in this bipartisan support that we have for this great piece of legislation to not only incentivize americans to continue to do what they've already done to be able to help the people of haiti, through being able to take off their contribution or get the tax benefit in their 2009 taxes.

i think it's important that we have a strong vote on this piece of legislation. the haitian people, i was just there, i spent two days on the ground there, humanitarian workers have working so hard and most -- a majority of these nongovernmental organizations that people can contribute to are doing the best work on the ground as it relates to the feeding and providing comfort for the haitians that are in desperate need of international support at this time. madam speaker, i would go even fourth say that hats off to our emergency response and urban rescue people that are really saving lives every day and with the contributions that americans give to organizations that are doing great work on the ground, coupled with the congress and the house's action today -- the congress' and the house's action today to help individuals with their contribution will feed into a better response and a better recovery not only for haiti but to also continue to

fulfill our humanitarian commitment to the poorest country in the western hemisphere. so i commend the chairman, the rest of the leadership that signed onto this bill, republican whip cantor and a number of others that are on the ways and means committee on this bipartisan effort. thank you so very much, madam speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. rangel: i have no further speakers on my side at this time. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. herger: i yield three minutes to the gentlelady from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i thank my good friend from

california for the time. and i rise today as an original co-sponsor of this bill. as my colleagues have explained, this important measure would accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions to our relief efforts in haiti. this means that those who are able to contribute now may receive the tax deduction for the 2009 filing period. with over $40 million in private and corporate donations already made, this will be a great incentive for the american people to reach even deeper into our pockets and help our friends in haiti. this in turn will augment u.s. government efforts demonstrating the clear benefits of public-private partnerships. and it's an important step at a time when we must do more with less in the face of rapidly rising deficits here at home.

there is no doubt that the united states as a government and as a people stand side by side with the people of haiti during this most tragic time. our assistance efforts so far are unparalleled. lastly president obama pledged $100 million in u.s. funding toward the relief effort. it is my hope that after this expeditious surveys of the damage a significant portion of this funding will come from the $845 million in international disaster assistance that this congress has already appropriated for fiscal year 2010. by pulling from these funds, we will be able to quickly address the humanitarian needs in haiti right now. in addition, i urge president obama to immediately begin efforts to convene an international donors conference to bring together other

responsible nations and international organizations that can join the united states in committing efforts to help the haitian people recover from this horrible disaster. keeping in mind the urgent nature of this much needed assistance, it remains incumbent upon the u.s. to work to ensure that international donations are pooled and integrated. that pledges are tracked. and that transparency measures are put in place to help ensure that aid reaches those who need it. further, we should encourage joint ventures and public-private partnerships as we consider the many ways that we may help promote not only the immediate but also the long-term recovery of haiti as well. the united states will do its share, but the rest of the world must do its best also. other nations must not forget about haiti once the attention on the crisis has subsided and leave the u.s., as has been often the case, to bear most of

the responsibility for the recovery of haiti. i would like an additional minute. mr. herger: i yield an additional minute. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you. madam speaker, we have all been deeply moved by the outpouring of support that we have seen from communities across the united states. unsurprisingly the haitian american community has shown invaluable leadership in the aftermath of last week's tragic earthquake. now more than ever the u.s. must focus our efforts on engaging these communities to make sure that they are involved in the rebuilding of their native homeland. the haitian diaspora is a valuable resource that must be tapped to ensure that stability, freedom, success, and prosperity that the haitian people deserve finally come to true. i would like to thank chairman rangel and ranking member camp for introducing this important

measure. i strongly urge my colleagues to support its passage. i thank the gentleman again for the time. thank you, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. rangel: madam speaker, i recognize mr. blumenauer, a distinguished member of the ways and means committee, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. blumenauer: thank you, madam speaker. i appreciate the courtesy of the chair of the ways and means committee in permitting me to speak on this and the rapid action that the committee has taken. as we are overcome with grief and sympathy for the haitian tragedy, i am reminded of the devastation i saw in indonesia in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. where over 160,000 people were killed. that disaster inspired cooperation that was truly incredible even in the troubled island of ache that had been

torn by war for years. that rebuilding effort sparked a terrific renaissance there. this must signal a new day for the troubled but promising country of haiti. obviously our immediate priority must be saving lives with food and water and shelter and medical supplies. i am pleased that groups in my community like the acclaimed mercy corps, the northwest medical team, have leaped into action with resources from the pacific northwest to make a difference under these dire circumstances. we must recognize the decades of crushing poverty in haiti have left ordinary people far too vulnerable to disaster. we have an obligation as a country as we work with comprehensive aid efforts in the months and years ahead after the cam rons are gone to help the haitians re-- camerons are gone to help the haitians rebuild. the world has not always, indeed

has seldom been a good neighbor to that troubled country. i am pleased that this legislation will make it easier for americans who face tough times themselves to help give gifts of hive and hope to our neighbors in that near island. the bill allows those who have donated to haiti a chance to claim the donation in the tax reform that they are preparing this spring rather than waiting a full year to claim the deduction. it's a simple gesture but it will encourage giving in this challenging economy and helping do what is right for haiti. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. herger: madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. rangel: it is my honor to yield to the majority whip, jim clyburn, two minutes. there is no question that he has provided the leadership on this issue and inspired the ways and

means committee and so many other members in the congress and haiti as a true friend in the heart of jim clyburn, our democratic whip. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. clyburn: thank you, madam speaker. thank you, chairman rangel, for yielding me this time. i want to thank you and mr. camp for bringing this legislation forward. i want to thank the minority whip, mr. cantor, for joining with us in making this a truly bipartisan effort. i also want to thank the 162 co-sponsors, original co-sponsors, of this legislation. i believe that all of us who are familiar with the various areas of our great country know that

it all depends upon where you live as to what kind of catastrophic event you can expect to visit your community. for many of us it may be a dust storm. for others like my area of the cointry -- country, hurricanes. for others, it could very well be an earthquake. all of us are put the sum total of our experiences. i believe that it is this vast and broad level of experiences that the people of these united states of america are going to call upon in order to respond to the people of haiti. and for us to offer all

americans the opportunity to conduct on their 2009 taxes in a contribution they make to this effort by the 28th of february, will go a long way toward innocenting the kind of behavior -- incenting the kind of behavior we think is very, very important. i want to thank the sponsors of this legislation. thank the -- all of those who will be voting for it today. it is one way that we can say to the people of this nation that americans are not just sympathize with them, but we empathize as well. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. herger: madam speaker, i yield whatever time he may

consume, our whip, member of the ways and means committee, the gentleman from virginia, mr. cantor. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. cantor: thank you, the speak. -- the speaker. i am pleased to rise this afternoon in strong support of this important relief legislation for the people of latey. on january 12, 2010, haiti was shaken by an earthquake unparalleled in its history. as horrendous as they are, the pictures in our newspapers and on tv can only begin to tell the story of the suffering of the haitian people. just this morning the people of that country had another scare, experiencing another shock that was magnitude of 6.1. madam speaker, when crisis calls, american citizens are at their finest. the people of the u.s. have always been and continue to be a generous and giving people. and whether it is offering shelter to orphanned children, making cash donations, or volunteering time, when tragedy

strikes the american people take action. charitable donations have already begun pouring into organizations assisting in the relief efforts. this legislation allows generous americans who make a cash donation to the haitian relief effort to treat those donations as if they were made in the tax year 2009. similar policy has been used in past tragedies and studies show that it actually increases the total amount of charitable contributions. i want to thank my colleague, majority whip, clyburn, for his assistance in bringing this legislation to the floor. i would also like to thank the gentleman from new york and the gentleman from michigan and their leadership in bringing forward this important bill. while it is often the differences between the parties in congress that makes the news, this legislation demonstrates that we can come together on commonsense proposeals to ease the suffering of our fellow man

when our offices discussed last week how we could help encourage charitable donations for the relief effort and in particular this proposal, it was clear that partisanship had been setaside. i think the american people and those in haiti are all the better for it. i ask the support of this legislation and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. rangel: i would like to yield two minutes to mr. davis of illinois, a member of the ways and means committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. davis: thank you, very much, madam speaker. i want to first of all commend chairman rangel and ranking member camp for their quick action and leadership on this legislation. i rise today in strong support of this bill to accelerate the income tax benefits for those who make cash contributions to people affected by the earthquake in haiti. americans are deeply saddened at the level of devastation caused

by earthquake that struck haiti on january 12 resulting in tremendous damage and loss of life. there are enormous needs in haiti and it is important to have the federal government, our government, demonstrate the leadership in providing relief. i also wish to acknowledge and recognize all of the organizations and groups not-for-profits, churches. over the weekend i visited several churches and i was tremendously impressed at the level of giving that people out of the goodness of their hearts were pouring out. especially do i congratulate and commend bishop blake and the church of god and christ churches for the enormous contribution that they are making, but baptist churches, methodist churches, all churches, people have demonstrated what it means to give of themselves and to help

others. i thank you, madam speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. herger: madam speaker, i now yield three minutes to the gentleman from michigan, my good friend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. . >> mr. speaker, i rise in support of this. on january 12 haiti was struck by a magnitude 7 earthquake which devastated the country and the people of haiti. i have lived for approximately a dozen years in earthquake country and i know how serious an earthquake of this magnitude is. i wish to extend my deepest sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones in this horrible tragedy. even in the face of this disaster, the people of the world have united in response through prayer, monetary donations and critical humanitarian aid. in fact, the "chronicle"

reported yesterday that over $275 million has already been generously donated worldwide. i'm again humbled by the efforts of humanitarian aid groups based in west michigan which has a long history of charitable giving in times of need. the response to this natural disaster has proved no different. i am grateful to my constituents for the compassion and generosity which has existed for many years. humanitarian aid groups in grand rapids that are contributing to the relief effort include rays of hope for haiti, the christian reform relief committee, the red cross and countless others. even a global corporation located in my district is en route with several flights this week to haiti transporting medical supplies and a medical team. the extraordinary efforts by all of these groups are to be commeppeded. while our country and the world

response to emergency needs in haiti, i have heard from many in my community who echo my fervent requests to provide additional assistance to the orphans in haiti. i ask for your continued prayers for the children of haiti who will soon be united with their adoptive families here in the united states and especially for those who have been orphaned in the wake of last tuesday's tragedy. i also urge the department of homeland security and department of state to greatly speed up the adoption process and visa procedures, for not only the orphans already in process but also for all the children who became orphans due to the death of their parents in the horrible earthquake. i urge my constituents and all americans to donate to a charity organization for earthquake relief in haiti. i am very pleased that former presidents bush and clinton are leading the efforts through the clinton-bush haiti fund. this bill, h.r. 4462, will allow

taxpayers to deduct their donations from their 2009 taxes and it is my hope that all people who are able will offer their support to the people of haiti. may god bless and comfort the people of haiti. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. rangel: madam speaker, i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. herger: yes, madam speaker, i have no further speakers so i'll close. i yield myself such time as i may consume. in closing i'd simply say that this is a good bill. it reflects the generosity of the american people in responding to a horrific disaster and i urge all members to vote aye and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. rangel: i ask unanimous consent that all members may

have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on h.r. 4462 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. rangel: madam speaker, i close this on the high note that americans show their greatness, especially in this congress. i want to thank mr. murphy for insisting we move forward on this. of course the republicans, mr. herger and mr. camp, who joined together with democrats to prove that when americans want to do things that party labels don't really mean that much and i do hope that the rest of the country would see what we have done and take advantage of this legislation in order to make certain that they have accurate recording of the contributions that they make through the telephone as well as to take advantage of the expediting the deductions being recognized by the internal revenue service.

i hope everyone would vote for this bill and let this be a symbol as to what this congress can do, not just for haiti but for ourselves and the rest of the free world. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4462 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> i rise to move to suspend the rules and pass house resolution 1010. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1010, resolution celebrating the life and work of dr. martin luther king jr. during the 30th anniversary of the stevie wonder song tribute to dr. king "happy birthday" and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from michigan, mr. conyers, and the gentleman from texas, mr. smith, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative

days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. conyers: and i yield myself as much time as i may consume. madam speaker, and members, i've been doing this for quite a number of years now and i ask my chief of staff how many years specifically it's been, but we're here again with the ranking member, lamar smith, with john lou -- lewis, the last remaining king disciple that worked with dr. king longer than any of us, and today we rise to

salute not only dr. martin luther king jr. but also recalling those days when we were marching for a king holiday , stevie wonder, we salute king and stevie wonder for the wonderful inspiration he gave us all with his musical tribute to dr. king, "happy birthday." on monday we observed for the 25th year the federal martin luther king jr. holiday bill that started off three days after his assassination when i made this proposal. and it also coincides with the 30th anniversary of stevie wonder's 1980 song tribute to

dr. king. stevie's song became the rallying cry for those fighting for a holiday for martin luther king jr. and he was one of our greatest advocates. and i just wanted to recall -- i didn't know if john lewis remembers, the day at that march we got a call from the white house and they wanted stevie wonder to come to the white house and stevie wonder said, well, how come they haven't invited to you come to the white house instead of me? i said, stevie, that doesn't -- stevie, that doesn't matter, they want you and this is what we've been marching for so you come to the white house.

he said, no, i'm not going, and we went back and forth and back and forth and finally he didn't come. but later, shortly thereafter, he -- we began the negotiations with jack camp of new york, with the republicans in the white house, and this agreement was struck that if the house and the senate could pass a king holiday bill the president would sign it into law. and we felt we could get it through the house but the other body was another story entirely. and finally, finally it did

happen and i don't know if you remember the day that coretta scott king and all the kids and abernathy, lowry, bond, we were all over in the other body and the speeches went on and on. everybody was claiming king. you'd have thought that he was a native son of all the speakers. and finally i remember after it finally ended, they had far more time to read it and a reporter asked me, what took you so long? everybody was seem -- everybody seemed to be for this bill all the time. and of course i resisted losing

my nonviolent disposition to respond to him because it took 15 years before that bill was finally taken up by the body. but it was because of the people , it was because of the spirit of the people in the public schools, in the city councils, the counties, the states even passed resolutions for us to do that. and finally the pressure built up so much along throughout the country that we finally had the bill passed in the other body and the president then true to his word signed the bill and a great moment in history that i'm still proud to say we seriously

honor king with this third monday of every january. i'll put the rest of my remarks in the record and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: thank you, madam speaker. and i yield myself such time as i may consume. madam speaker, i support house resolution 1010. this resolution celebrates the life and work of dr. martin luther king jr. it also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the release of steveny wonder's song tribute to dr. quing entitled -- entitle -- did cringe entitled "happy birthday." dr. king was the leader of a nonviolent revolution in the united states. throughout his life he fought for racial harmony and equal justice. while advancing this historic move d.c. historic movement, dr. king suffered physical abuse. despite this violence, dr. king peacefully continued to pursue justice and equality for all.

as a pastor, dr. king's religious beliefs were essential to the success of his nonviolent efforts. it is doubtful that such a long and enduring movement could have survived without the power of religious inspiration and conviction behind it. . during those years he led large protests that drew the attention of the world. on august 28, 1963, dr. king led a peaceful march of 250,000 people through the streets of washington, d.c. it is here in this city where he delivered his speech that spoke for all americans regardless of the color of their skin. i have a dream, he said, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they

will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. dr. king opened the door of opportunity for millions of americans. in his "i have a dream" speech, dr. king called the march the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. four days after the assassination of dr. king, representative john conyers, now our judiciary committee chairman, and the co-sponsor of the resolution we are now considering, introduced legislation to recognize dr. king's life's work with a federal holiday that coincided with his birthday, january 15. and, madam speaker, i just want to say today that i thank chairman conyers has been too modest about his significant role in establishing that holiday. in 1980 stevie wonder released a congress strib beauty to dr. king called "happy birthday "to

bring attention to the movement to enact a federal holiday in honor of dr. king. stevie wonder sang that dr. king's vision of peace should be celebrated throughout the world and that a holiday would help achieve dr. king's dreams of integration and love and unity for all of god's children. on november 3, 1983, legislation was signed into law designating the third monday of january as a federal holiday in observance of dr. king. madam speaker, i urge all my colleagues to support this resolution. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: thank you, madam speaker. i thank my friend, la mart smith, for his -- lamar smith, for his significant contribution and his work as a co-leader on the judiciary committee for all the other thimmings we work on as well. i -- things we work on as well. i turn now to john lewis of

georgia who i knew before he was a member of congress and he knew me before i was a member of congress as well. i yield him as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. lewis: madam speaker, i rise today to celebrate the life of dr. martin luther king jr. and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the stevie wonder song, "happy birthday." that song was such a fitting tribute to dr. king and a rallying cry to create the dr. martin luther king jr. holiday that we celebrated last weekend and on monday. dr. martin luther king jr. was my friend. he was my big brother. he was my hero. and above all, he was a simple human being filled with love,

peace, and compassion for all humankind. madam speaker, i want to take the opportunity to thank my colleague, the chairman, mr. conyers, for the great and unbelievable role that will you played in making this holiday possible. when the historians speak of him and write about the spirit, they would have to write that you, john conyers, paved the way to make it possible for people all over america and around the world to stop and celebrate the work of martin luther king jr. we as a congress, as a nation, and as a people are deeply indebted to you.

and we will never, ever forget the role that you played. stevie wonder's song reminds us that there is a better way, the way of love, the way of nonviolence. john conyers, mr. chairman, you never gave up, you never gave in. you and stevie wonder kept the faith and you kept your eyes on the prize. out of that unbelievable city you had the right stuff. the king holiday is a day of reflection. we all took time to reflect on the legacy of this man whose story of love and his leadership

made our country a better place. it's also become day of service. dr. king preached a doctrine of nonviolence and civil disobedience to combat desegregation, discrimination, and racial injustice. stevie wonder's song 30 years later still remind us that we have come a distance but we still have a long road to travel until we reach the world that was dr. king's dream. so it is fitting and appropriate that we pause as a nation and as a people to remember the life of dr. martin luther king jr. and through the music, through the song, "happy birthday" of stevie wonder's, we all continue to be inspired as dr. king inspired a nation and changed america forever. madam speaker, we all spent some time in reflection this weekend

and all monday, but today we encourage all citizens to try to live the teaching of dr. king, and will move us closer to dr. king's dream of creating a beloved community a. community of justice based on -- at peace with itself. again i thank chairman conyers for his work and for bringing this piece of legislation before us today. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. smith: madam speaker, i yield as much time as i might consume to the gentleman from tennessee, zach wamp. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. wamp: thank you, madam speaker. i did not prepare or plan to speak on this resolution, but i saw my friend, john lewis, on the floor and i came two days ago on this m.l. king day i was

moved beyond measure to stand on the very spot where dr. king lost his life. the national civil rights museum in memphis, tennessee, at the lorraine motel, to tour there and spend a couple hours. extraordinary museum. extraordinary place. i would encourage all americans to go see that, to experience it. much more than i ever dreamed. i had not been there even though i am a tennessean. even though i feel like, as an american, who believes in equality and justice, i feel like a sojourner with my friend, john lewis, as the co-sponsor with lacy clay of the civil rights trail legislation which is pending before this house.

co-sponsor jesse jackson of the naming of emancipation hall. co-sponsor with john lewis of the green mcado legislation in tennessee. recognizing the clinton 12 and the bravery on the road that we are on. but to me martin luther king day is all about equality and justice, the traits of our great nation that we hold so dear, that process and journey is not completed, it is not over. we all know it. but great strides have been made. including the elks of our president -- election of our president. the crowning achievement in this movement. but i was so moved by how a single bullet from across the street, and i went there as well, changed history, but also how at that moment so many things began to happen.

dr. king even knew somehow in his heart heading into that moment that it was going to happen. i never realized the depth of that until i went there for two hours. it is a powerful, powerful way to celebrate this progress and this man and this part of our history is to go there. of course john lewis is all over it. you think chairman conyers, man do i want to thank you, brother, for your life. for your courage, for the youth movement, for the freedom rides. for all that you have been involved in. for your book, your legacy, your service, john lewis, great american, obviously i don't always agree with you, but i respect you immensely. thank you for how far you have brought us and for all the people that invested their lives in the civil rights movement.

thank you from all of us, from everywhere for the progress that's been made. it's so very important that we continue to fight for equality and justice for all. that's what people from around the world look to our country in amazement about. our national character is not born out of our greatness and our power and our tall buildings and our military might. it's born out of our character which comes from lessons learned and wrongs made right. that's this journey that we are on. and to all that have given blood , sacrificed mightily, the united states of america honors you in honoring dr. king in his legacy. in many ways he may have had to give his life to see these things happen. and that's why we honor the life of dr. martin luther king jr..

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: madam speaker, i just want to tell our colleague from tennessee, mr. zach wamp, that was the most amazing recapitulation of what happens to people when they go and trace these incredible moments in history that many of us have lived through. and i particularly appreciate his recollection of his feelings and how they have impacted on his work here in the congress. i just wanted to thank him for that myself and for all of our colleagues, many whom are

submitting statements, i'm going to ask unanimous consent to put in to the record -- into the record the remarks of president obama on january 17 as he recalled that day of celebrating the life and legacy of martin luther king jr., and the article in "politico" that also recapitulated the history of the struggle that king led that is not over. and although the raw violence that accompanied that struggle in those days, remember the men and women and children that were

in this struggle were risking their lives. this wasn't a philosophical discussion or theoretical examination of where they were in history. this was an unbelievably brutal period of our history. we recall it not in bitterness but in honest reflection. i remember this trilogy, taylor badge wrote three volumes on king and i recommend it strongly to anybody that wants to recall it. there have been many, many other records of this part of our history, but to me ta